Heevet m



WOODFORD.

g n Brake.

No. 229,575. Patented July 6,1880.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERVEY M. WOODFORD, OF MAROELLUS, NEW YORK.

WAGON -BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,575, dated July 6,1880.

Application filed To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, HERVEY M. WOODFORD, of Marcellus, Onondaga county,State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWagon-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of my invention is to furnish an efficient wagon-brake thatcan readily be applied to any ordinary wagon already constructed withoutchanging the hounds, to be actuated automatically by the team indescending hills, and be thrown out of action in backing.

Heretofore in devices for this purpose the hounds have had to be madestraight for the pole to slide between them, and there was a want ofsteadiness and an indirect action upon the wheels which wasobjectionable, and which is remedied by my improvement. I also provide abrake-shoe that is reversible, having two wearing-surfaces, either ofwhich can be brought into action so as to increase its durability.

The following description of the construction and operation of the partsrefers to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a plan of the device; Fig. 2, a side elevation.

The inclined bracing-hounds a are like those generally in use inlumber-wagons for heavy draft. The tongue I) and its fixtures are unitedtherewith by a horizontal bolt, 0, that passes through them. The holesthrough the pole and brace 12 are oblong, so as to allow the pole toslide back and forth between the hounds. Upon the sides of the braces12, between them and the hounds, I affix metal side pieces extending outin wedge form at 6?, so that the side next the end of the hound isparallel with the line of the pole to slide back upon the inner face ofthe hounds, as seen in Fig. 1, and in rear thereof there is upon theinner face of the hounds similar wedge-formed pieces 0. Thesewedge-formed pieces 61 0 hold the pole steadily in line laterallybetween the inclined hounds a while sliding back and forth.

To the rear ends of the braces b there are February 21, 1880.

connecting-rods f, that hook into holes in the levers g g, which crossbetween the hounds, as seen in Fig. 1. These levers have their fulcrumsat h. The short arms of these levers are united by adjustable rods 1'with a sliding bar, 70, that projects across from side to side just inrear of the periphery of the wheels, having on its ends friction-shoesl. The adjustable connecting-rods i have screws and nuts to regulate thedistance between the sliding bar, and levers g to adjust the shoes Iproperly to the wheels. The shoes I are pivoted upon a bolt in each endof bar k, that passes through a slot in the shoe, (see Fig. 2,) wherethe outline profile of the shoe is shown resting against the wheel inthe act of braking when the wheel is advancing. 1f the wheel is turnedbackward by backin g, the shoe is thrown into the position shown by thedotted lines and the wheel freed from its action.

The shoe has its front and rear sides alike in form, so that eithercanbeturned toward the wheel with like results, thus doubling the effectivewear of the shoe.

The hounds a are securely braced at their rear ends, and the levers,&c., are below the reach. By this construction the shoes are broughtsquarely up to the periphery of the wheels, and are braced againstlateral strains by sliding bar k. The whole structure is rendered firmand secure by the construction and combination of the several parts.

Having thus fully described my improved brake, I claim-- 1. Thecombination of the angular slideways (I 0 with the inclined hounds, forsteady ing the pole and firmly holding it in place, as and for thepurposes specified.

2. The combination of the cross-levers g, affixed to the hounds in rearof the axle, with the slide-bar k and pole, as and for the purposesspecified.

HERVEY M. WOODFORD.

Witnesses:

J. J. GREENOUGH,

WILLIAM M. Ross.

